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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: ground · key · mark · bulb · date · stem · chest · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — crushed
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — a position
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chest — of your body

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