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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — a permit
  16. clip — to cut
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — for paper
  22. club — a group
  23. stock — shares
  24. deal — an agreement

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