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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: root · stock · ground · mark · craft · chip · spring · fan

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — of water
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — the cause
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stock — shares
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ground — a position
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stock — goods
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — a coil
  24. root — of a word

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