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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: stem · face · stock · object · bulb · present · club · hand

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. object — to protest
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. present — a gift
  10. object — a thing
  11. club — for golf
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — shares
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — goods
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — to come from
  19. face — to confront
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. present — there

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