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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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Word bank
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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: stock · march · stem · cabinet · pound · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — to come from
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares

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