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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. object — to protest
  2. stem — to come from
  3. object — a thing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — an aim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pop — to visit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — shares
  20. pop — music
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. staff — employees
  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