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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — after costs
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. net — for catching
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — shares
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — goods
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — the season
  19. stem — to come from
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — in a computer

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