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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. shower — rain
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — farmland
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rest — a break
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stem — to come from

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