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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. file — a document
  7. stock — goods
  8. file — a tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. hand — help
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hand — in cards

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