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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 116 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: pass · current · stock · kick · stem · wake · spell · bowl

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. current — happening now
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spell — letters
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kick — in football
  17. stock — goods
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — of water
  22. spell — a short time
  23. current — electric
  24. spell — magic

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