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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: snap · pass · stem · branch · rock · hand · stock · capital

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — to come from
  3. branch — a division
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — a city
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — goods
  21. capital — money
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. branch — of a bank

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