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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: mark · spell · bank · stock · staff · stem · ground · straw

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — goods
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — to come from
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — crushed
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ground — a position
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stock — a soup base

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