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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — money
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — a thing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — shares
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chest — a box
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. object — to protest
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. date — the fruit

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