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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. toast — bread
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a face
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — to come from
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — of a river
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — a stem cell

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