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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stock — goods
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pass — a permit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stem — to come from
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — shares
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stand — to bear
  23. drill — army training
  24. dip — a sauce

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