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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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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: game · stock · bowl · bank · stick · tear · stem · firm

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a match
  6. stock — shares
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. firm — a company
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — goods
  19. tear — to rip
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — steady
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bowl — a dish

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