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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a dance
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — to come from

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