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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — child
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — to tease
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — a weight
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rule — a law
  24. stem — of a plant

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