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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — shares
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — low music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bass — the fish

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