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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: bear · dip · craft · ground · branch · perch · stock · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — a position
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stock — shares
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ground — crushed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. craft — boats
  22. branch — a division
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. craft — a handicraft

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