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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. land — a country
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — a trail
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — goods

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