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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: temple · stem · plane · march · field · key · stock · rush

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. field — farmland
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — for sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — a subject
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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