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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: press · bore · vault · stock · straw · patient · stem · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — goods
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — to come from
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. press — a publisher
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to drill
  22. press — to push
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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