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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: stand · stock · stem · roll · suit · file · game · ball

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. file — a document
  4. game — a match
  5. roll — a cake
  6. file — a line of people
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stock — goods
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. file — a tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stem — of a plant

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