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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — to recline
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — completely
  24. nail — for a hammer

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