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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: tear · stem · club · stock · present · can · racket · last

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. club — a group
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. club — for dancing
  9. tear — to rip
  10. last — to go on
  11. club — for golf
  12. stem — to come from
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. present — the time now
  19. stock — shares
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. can — to be able to
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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