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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — low music
  19. object — an aim
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — to crush
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stock — goods

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