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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. hand — in cards
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — goods
  10. toast — bread
  11. firm — a company
  12. last — final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. club — a group
  16. last — to go on
  17. club — for golf
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hand — help
  20. firm — decided
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stock — shares
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — to come from

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