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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — goods
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitcher — a jug

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