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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 120 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: bank · stock · fan · root · stem · wake · season · pass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — of a river
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — goods
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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