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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: game · stick · present · stock · safe · craft · branch · stem

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — the time now
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stem — to come from
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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