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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stock — shares
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — a friend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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