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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. content — the amount
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — rain
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. club — for dancing
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a round shape

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