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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: stock · march · ground · date · deal · stem · pit · kick

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — goods
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. march — the month
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ground — a position
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ground — the earth
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — music

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