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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: fall · stem · pop · root · spring · stock · season · plane

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. stock — goods
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — of the year
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. root — of a word
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fall — the season
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — soda
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spring — of water
  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