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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: bass · wave · stem · stock · firm · present · cap · fan

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — low music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. present — the time now
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cap — a hat
  13. present — there
  14. stock — goods
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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