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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — shares
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — goods
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — a series
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — a short time

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