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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stem — to come from
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — goods
  24. cue — for pool

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