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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — a country
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — ground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. land — to come down
  16. stock — goods
  17. track — to keep track
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spell — magic
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spell — letters
  23. stock — shares
  24. stem — to come from

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