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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — shares
  5. band — a ring
  6. rock — a stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. rock — music

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