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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — shares
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — to drill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — to pay attention

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