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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · root · track · spring · mate · stock · stick · coach

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stock — shares
  3. mate — a friend
  4. track — a song
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — of water
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a path
  18. stock — goods
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — the season
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spring — a coil

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