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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: stem · pass · stock · branch · lash · racket · race · pitcher

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — to come from
  4. race — humankind
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — a contest
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. branch — a division
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stock — goods
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitcher — a jug

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