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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rock — a stone
  24. suit — 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