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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 120 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: cabinet · stem · spell · stock · pit · file · net · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. net — for catching
  5. stock — shares
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — letters
  8. net — in sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — after costs
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — magic
  24. pit — a hole

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