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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — to come from
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stock — goods
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — shares
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pound — to hit hard

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