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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: lie · stock · stem · pit · wound · bear · field · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. current — happening now
  8. stem — to come from
  9. field — a subject
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — for sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — goods
  22. current — electric
  23. field — farmland
  24. stock — shares

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