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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stock — goods
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — an amount
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — of a plant

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