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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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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: can · racket · content · stem · stock · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stock — goods
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — shares
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. content — the amount
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — to paddle
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — for tennis

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