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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com