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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pop — to visit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pop — music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — soda
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — goods
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pound — for dogs

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