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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: club · bound · press · stock · root · bear · bass · field

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — for dancing
  4. root — of a word
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bound — tied together
  9. field — for sport
  10. stock — goods
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. field — farmland
  15. press — a publisher
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. field — a subject
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — the cause
  24. stock — shares

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