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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: object · clip · coach · ball · stock · stem · bank · squash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. clip — a video
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. object — a thing
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — an aim
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — shares
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — to protest
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. squash — to crush
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stem — to come from

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