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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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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: object · kid · pound · stem · stock · foot · tube · chest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. stock — shares
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stock — goods
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — a container

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