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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: kid · stock · firm · bank · pound · stem · mug · cap

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. firm — steady
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cap — a hat
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stock — shares
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — decided
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mug — a face
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stock — goods

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