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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: content · race · stock · key · row · coach · can · stem

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. stock — shares
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. race — a contest
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — to come from
  22. content — the amount
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a line

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