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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: fan · bark · can · wave · tube · content · stem · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — happy
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — to come from
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stock — goods
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — a soup base

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