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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: wind · root · squash · stock · drill · last · suit · can

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. last — to go on
  3. stock — goods
  4. drill — a practice
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. last — finally
  11. can — to be able to
  12. drill — the tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — shares
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — the cause
  21. suit — in cards
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — final

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