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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. stem — to come from
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — goods
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. date — the fruit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — a stick
  24. roll — a cake

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