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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.

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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: ruler · stem · stock · bowl · saw · present · squash · shower

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. present — there
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stock — shares
  20. shower — rain
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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