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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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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: band · stem · race · stock · lash · perch · rock · bowl

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a music group
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — shares
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. stock — goods
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. race — the arms race
  24. band — a ring

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