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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. field — for sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — the underground
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stock — goods
  18. field — a subject
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — a container

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