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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — goods
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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