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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — hasty
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fine — high quality
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hand — in cards
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — all right
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — a grade
  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