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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: hand · stem · staff · cap · stock · stick · safe · ruler

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — a stick
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. staff — employees
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stock — shares
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a hat

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