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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — shares
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — to come from
  6. club — a group
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. craft — boats
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. club — for golf
  24. stock — goods

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