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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: rash · stem · date · spell · mouse · trunk · bank · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — goods
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — letters
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — shares
  24. stem — to come from

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