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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.

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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 · field · stem · stock · ground · court · rush · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — crushed
  23. court — of a king
  24. safe — a strongbox

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