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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — a container
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — goods
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — a hat

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