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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: cue · row · net · stock · stem · ground · rest · stick

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — a hint
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a quarrel

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