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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. kid — to tease
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — child
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stock — shares
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ball — a round shape

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