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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rock — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — high quality
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — the season
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stock — shares

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