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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. march — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — to handle
  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