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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: kick · deal · fan · lean · ball · stem · current · stock

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stock — shares
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stock — goods
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — thin
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — in football
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — happening now

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