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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: season · stock · leaves · stem · tube · staff · pass · race

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — the arms race
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — humankind
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — the underground

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