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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: ruler · racket · stock · stand · bear · mine · stem · arm

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — shares
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — for measuring

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