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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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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: key · tear · bulb · stem · pop · net · fine · mark

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mark — a grade
  4. net — for catching
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — to come from
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — in music
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — all right
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pop — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — after costs
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a trace

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