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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — happy
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — clothes
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — the amount
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — to fit

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