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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — the time now
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. field — for sport
  5. spring — the season
  6. stock — goods
  7. field — farmland
  8. spring — of water
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — there
  17. field — a subject
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — a gift
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — to come from

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