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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rest — a break
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. charge — in control
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stock — goods
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — a price

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