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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: stem · bass · pit · board · kick · bulb · wind · stock

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stock — goods
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — in football
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — to get on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bass — low music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kick — a thrill

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