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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 116 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: bear · ground · stock · ball · cap · stem · plane · pop

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — a position
  8. pop — soda
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stock — shares
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — music

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