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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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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: stem · cell · wound · stock · bowl · stick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bowl — a dish

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