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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: safe · plane · ground · field · last · stock · bear · stem

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ground — the earth
  9. field — a subject
  10. last — final
  11. ground — a position
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. field — farmland
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. last — to go on
  22. stock — goods
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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