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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: board · ground · can · stock · stick · bat · stem · perch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — goods
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — to come from
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — shares
  14. board — a committee
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stem — a stem cell

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