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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — the fish
  5. drill — army training
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fine — high quality
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a trace
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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