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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: cold · stem · net · stock · racket · nail · bark · bore

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — in sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bore — to tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cold — not warm
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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