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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: spell · bear · craft · stock · saw · rock · stem · march

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. march — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. stock — shares
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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