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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stock — goods
  3. key — in music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hand — help
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — the most important part
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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