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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
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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: stock · band · fan · firm · ruler · content · clip · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. content — happy
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — steady
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — decided
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stock — shares
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. ruler — a monarch

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