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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 120 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: clip · can · bat · stock · root · ball · board · fine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — to cut
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — the cause
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fine — all right
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — to be able to
  23. root — of a word
  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