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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — a gift
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spring — the season
  9. ball — a great time
  10. present — there
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — of water
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a dance

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