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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · toast · bore · fine · stem · bat · pitch · stock

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fine — all right
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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