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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stem — to come from
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. staff — a stick

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