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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · fork · stem · net · bear · pass

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. net — in sport
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pass — a permit

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