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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — the fruit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — in sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — in a road

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