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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: leaves · board · stand · band · stock · stem · land · calf

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a ring
  4. land — ground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — a country
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. board — a committee
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — to come down
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. band — a music group
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — to get on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — to go away

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