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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: spell · wake · stem · scale · stock · can · deal · content

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stock — goods
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. content — happy
  20. scale — in music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. spell — magic
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — an agreement

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