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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · mug · scale · stock · stem · mate · rest · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — in music
  8. stock — shares
  9. rest — a break
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a face
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — a friend

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