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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: can · sharp · arm · branch · bulb · date · ground · stock

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — shares
  8. ground — a position
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stock — goods
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ground — the earth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — part of the 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