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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — the amount
  10. spring — of water
  11. stock — shares
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — happy
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — the season

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