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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — shares
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mark — a grade
  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