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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — shares
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — goods
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — after costs
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pop — to visit

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