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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: bat · plane · stock · prune · chip · safe · rush · root

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — shares
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. root — of a word
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — the cause
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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