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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
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: swing · field · ruler · stem · stock · row · charge · present

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. field — farmland
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — a price
  5. row — a line
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — to play on
  8. present — the time now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — for sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — there
  18. stock — shares
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — a subject
  22. swing — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — a soup base

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