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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
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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: stem · stock · plane · ground · safe · capital · calf · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. capital — money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — the earth
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stock — goods
  23. capital — a city
  24. stem — to come from

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