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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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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 · safe · stem · straw · march · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stock — shares
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — goods

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