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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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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: stock · bat · bay · fall · stem · capital · bowl · trunk

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bat — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bowl — a football final

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