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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 120 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: firm · net · stand · kid · stem · bowl · mark · season

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — a company
  5. season — in sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — for catching
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — after costs
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — in sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kid — child
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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