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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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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: plane · track · stem · stock · firm · ruler · straw · land

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — steady
  4. land — a country
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — a song
  7. land — ground
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stock — shares
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. firm — decided
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — to keep track
  24. firm — a company

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