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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — help
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — in music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — the most important part
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — goods

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