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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — shares
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — farmland
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a committee
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — of a plant

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