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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: root · stock · mug · cue · net · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — in sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — for catching
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mug — a face
  16. stock — shares
  17. chest — a box
  18. root — of a plant

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