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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. race — humankind
  7. fall — the season
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. race — the arms race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. current — happening now
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a ring
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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