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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: pit · stick · stock · can · bank · stem · straw · leaves

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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