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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: stock · spring · bay · craft · wound · track · present · stem

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — the time now
  5. track — a song
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a skill
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — there
  14. spring — of water
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spring — the season
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — boats

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