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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rest — a break
  6. key — in music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — all right
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — shares
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. key — for a lock
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — to push
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — high quality

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