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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · bowl · racket · pop · stem · rock · stock · kick

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stock — goods
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — a stone
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pop — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kick — in football
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rock — music

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