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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · content · leaves · present · row · rash · stock · bay

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. content — the amount
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rash — a series
  7. row — a line
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. present — the time now
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stock — shares
  24. leaves — lets stay

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