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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 124 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — goods
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ground — crushed
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — certain
  24. deal — an agreement

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