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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: ruler · stem · stock · bowl · saw · present

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. present — the time now
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — shares
  9. present — a gift
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bowl — to roll

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