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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bound — certain
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stock — goods
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fine — all right
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bound — obliged

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