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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spell — letters
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — to come down
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — a country
  13. stem — to come from
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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