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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: fan · ground · toast · mine · root · staff · stock · file

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. root — of a plant
  4. file — a document
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ground — a position
  15. file — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stock — goods
  18. root — of a word
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — a soup base

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