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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 116 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. shower — rain
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stock — shares
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. fine — all right

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