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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
468
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: saw · ground · bear · stock · field · stick · stem · bowl

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — for sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — goods
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — shares
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — a soup base

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