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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: roll · stem · swing · stock · bore · tear · pitcher · root

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stock — shares
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — the cause
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. roll — a list
  24. swing — in golf

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