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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. court — of law
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. court — of a king
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — goods
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — for sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — a soup base

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