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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: bulb · present · rule · date · bound · stem · root · jam

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bound — certain
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. present — there
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rule — a law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bound — tied together
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — the time now
  24. jam — in traffic

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