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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stock — goods
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — to rob
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mug — a face
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — a leader
  24. content — happy

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