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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cell · spell · stock · craft · race · bulb · date

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. race — a contest
  4. craft — a skill
  5. race — the arms race
  6. firm — steady
  7. craft — boats
  8. stock — goods
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — magic
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. firm — decided
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cell — in biology
  18. spell — letters
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — humankind
  21. firm — a company
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cell — in a prison

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