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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: fan · fine · stock · band · stem · wound · staff · rock

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stock — goods
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — all right
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a music group
  23. stock — shares
  24. wound — an injury

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