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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — a company
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. firm — steady
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stock — goods
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — shares
  19. foot — a measure
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. current — electric
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. firm — decided

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