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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: foot · mug · march · stem · lean · craft · stock · pit

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stock — shares
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — in a race
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stock — goods
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — to come from
  21. march — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mug — to rob

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