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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — a practice
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — goods
  20. ground — a position
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — army training
  24. cue — a hint

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