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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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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: lean · stem · bay · stock · deal · land · key · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lean — thin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — shares
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — the most important part
  22. land — to come down
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. deal — an agreement

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