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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ball — a great time
  7. charge — a price
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — in control
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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