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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — shares
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bank — of a river
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — music

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