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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: chip · press · stem · branch · can · present · stock · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. present — there
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. stock — goods
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — to come from
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — to eat
  21. press — a publisher
  22. present — the time now
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. present — a gift

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