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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · track · leaves · stem · current · plane · capital · rest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rest — a break
  10. track — a path
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — shares
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — electric
  24. plane — an aircraft

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