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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: stand · coach · fork · stem · land · leaves · stock · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stand — to bear
  7. land — a country
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stock — goods

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