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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. bank — of a river
  15. game — wild animals
  16. toast — bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a match
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — a tin

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