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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: ball · swing · stock · bark · mate · roll · saw · stem

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ball — a great time
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stock — goods
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. roll — a list
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. roll — on a roll

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