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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spring — of water
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. stock — shares
  11. spring — the season
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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