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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 116 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 · trunk · stick · cap · pound · fine · stock · spring

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spring — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. spring — the season
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stock — goods

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