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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stem — to come from
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. drill — the tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stock — a soup base

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