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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: chair · bound · last · net · root · rash · stock · bat

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — for catching
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — finally
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. last — to go on
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — goods
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bat — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. root — the cause
  18. bound — certain
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — a series

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