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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — a cup
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stock — shares
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stem — a stem cell

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