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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. foot — a measure
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — shares
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a lid

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