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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. drill — army training
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — ground
  13. pop — to visit
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — shares
  21. hand — help
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stock — a soup base

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