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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cell · root · stand · key · ground · fine · stock · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. root — of a word
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — the cause
  24. ground — a position

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