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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a friend
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ball — a great time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stock — shares
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — goods
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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