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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: mark · stock · toast · spell · cue · snap · vault · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. vault — a safe
  3. toast — bread
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — shares
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a trace
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — a grade
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. snap — to click
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — goods
  24. cue — for pool

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