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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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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: pass · rest · stock · kid · cap · wake · staff · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stock — goods
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. root — the cause
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — a trail
  20. root — of a word
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rest — a break

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