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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fall — the season
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. foot — part of the body

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