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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: coach · wake · stock · fall · stick · hand · stem · pound

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hand — help
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — shares
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — in cards
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fall — the season
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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