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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a dance
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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