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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: kid · stem · can · sharp · stock · season · fine · trunk

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — to be able to
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. kid — to tease
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — all right
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kid — child
  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