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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. perch — the fish
  11. land — ground
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — certain
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — shares
  24. wake — a trail

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