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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
468
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: date · root · squash · clip · scale · staff · object · stock

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — in music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. object — an aim
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stock — goods
  8. object — a thing
  9. clip — a video
  10. staff — employees
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. root — of a word
  15. staff — a stick
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stock — shares
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — to protest
  21. scale — size or range
  22. squash — the sport
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. staff — employees

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