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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: bat · stock · object · perch · stem · fine · land · lie

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — high quality
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — all right
  10. object — a thing
  11. land — a country
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bat — for baseball

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