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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
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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: ball · present · straw · spring · plane · rest · ruler · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spring — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — a coil
  12. present — there
  13. plane — a tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — a gift
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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