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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spring — of water
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — a coil
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — shares
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. row — a line

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