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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: dip · fine · stock · last · ground · shower · object · root

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. root — the cause
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — rain
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — a position
  8. last — final
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — finally
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — to wash
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — a thing

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