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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — goods
  7. court — of a king
  8. stem — to come from
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — shares
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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