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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — for catching
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — a committee
  13. stock — shares
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — in sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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