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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cap — a hat
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — an aim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. object — a thing
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stock — shares
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — goods

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