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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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Word bank
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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: stem · craft · cap · season · fork · row · arm · pop

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pop — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. season — of the year
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. row — a line
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — to eat with

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