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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stock — goods
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. toast — bread
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. craft — a skill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. can — a tin

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