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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — goods
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

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