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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. track — a song
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — goods
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a path

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