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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. suit — to fit
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — decided
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stem — to come from
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — steady
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — shares
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  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