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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — crushed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — goods
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ground — a position
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bank — for money

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