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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ground — a position
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stock — shares
  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