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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: firm · pop · trunk · drill · cabinet · stem · date · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pop — soda
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — the fruit
  24. firm — decided

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