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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stock — shares
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mug — a cup

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