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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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 — a stem cell
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — a position
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rule — government
  18. stock — shares
  19. club — a group
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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