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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a path
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — government
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — a thing
  12. court — for sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. track — a song
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stock — shares
  18. court — of a king
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — an aim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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