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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 · present · rash · scale · mark · stock · bay · row

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. present — a gift
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — goods
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. present — there
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — the time now

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