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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. mug — a face
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mug — a cup
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — of water
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — electric
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stem — a stem cell

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