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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: tube · key · bowl · mouse · stem · mine · mug · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — in music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mug — a face
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stock — goods
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mine — belonging to me

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