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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: stock · ground · stem · branch · cabinet · season · hand · arm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. season — in sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — crushed
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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