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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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