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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stock — goods
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — a break
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — shares
  18. land — to come down
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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