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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: stock · cabinet · fall · stem · snap · kid · track · fine

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stock — goods
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to click
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kid — child
  24. stem — of a plant

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