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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — goods
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a friend
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — shares
  24. mate — to breed

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