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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: stock · leaves · ground · court · firm · stem · charge · ruler

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stem — to come from
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — a price
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — goods
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. court — of law
  13. ground — the earth
  14. charge — electricity
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — in control
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. stock — shares
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — of a plant

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