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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: cap · stock · arm · season · bore · racket · bass · stem

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — in sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bass — low music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — shares

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