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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: stem · stock · bowl · track · coach · tear · kick · bank

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — shares
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a song

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