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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. toast — bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — letters
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ground — a position

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