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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stock — goods
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — a container
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — shares
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cell — in biology

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