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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — the fruit
  8. branch — a division
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bulb — for light

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