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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: season · pit · pop · stock · board · stem · arm · cabinet

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — soda
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  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