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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: bat · rest · stem · nail · chair · stock · fork · stick

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stock — shares
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stock — a soup base

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