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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: race · pound · stock · bank · patient · board · spell · stem

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. race — the arms race
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — letters
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — humankind
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — shares
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — a contest
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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