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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: foot · stock · stem · content · saw · deal

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stock — goods
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. deal — to handle
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. content — happy
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — a measure

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