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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: lash · root · safe · scale · hand · net · bulb · stock

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — in music
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. root — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. net — in sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — help
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — for catching
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — for weighing
  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