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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: cabinet · scale · stock · bass · root · stem · rash · wound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. root — of a word
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — shares
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — the cause
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — a series
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. scale — in music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — for weighing

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