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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: kid · root · game · stock · mate · rock · board · bound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — shares
  9. kid — to tease
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. game — a match
  14. rock — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a word
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kid — child
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — goods

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