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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: stock · dip · net · track · chair · root · fine · season

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — high quality
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. track — a path
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. root — of a word
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fine — all right
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stock — goods

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