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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stock — goods
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rock — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a tool

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