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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — decided
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. firm — a company
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — low music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — for sculpting

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