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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. net — in sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. cell — a phone
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mine — for digging

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