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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: stick · swing · bay · stem · stock · foot · cabinet · net

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. net — after costs
  16. swing — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — goods
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stem — to come from

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