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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spring — of water
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stock — goods
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — the season
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fine — all right
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — shares
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bass — the instrument

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