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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: stem · bank · rest · field · rash · bass · stock · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bank — for money
  22. field — a subject
  23. stock — shares
  24. stem — to come from

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