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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 120 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
468
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: band · stick · cue · stock · file · stem · game · plane

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. file — a document
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a ring
  14. game — a match
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. file — a tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a music group
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a rubber band

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