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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: charge · suit · stock · spring · stem · cell · can · arm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stem — to come from
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — a price
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — a phone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — the season
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — in biology
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spring — of water
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spring — a coil

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