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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: kick · ball · toast · stock · pitcher · root · present · wound

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — there
  6. root — the cause
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. present — a gift
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — shares
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wound — an injury
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. present — the time now
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — goods
  24. kick — in football

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