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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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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: stem · stock · board · bound · pit · wound · bay · rash

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bound — obliged
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — certain
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — to get on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — a committee
  19. rash — a series
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bound — tied together

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