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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. land — a country
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to sink
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. pop — to visit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. land — to come down
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — wild animals
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to dunk

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