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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: stock · rush · bark · toast · bound · field · cap · stem

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. stock — goods
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — obliged
  9. toast — bread
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cap — a lid
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — certain
  22. field — a subject
  23. rush — hurry
  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