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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. mug — a cup
  3. content — happy
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — the amount
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a face
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  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