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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. charge — in control
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — shares
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a great time
  14. capital — money
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — a price
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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