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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: stem · trunk · stock · ball · bay · key · shower · fine

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — for a lock
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — rain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stock — goods
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — a horse colour

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