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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: mouse · stem · object · date · bear · craft · fork · roll

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — to come from
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. object — a thing
  24. roll — a list

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