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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
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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: cue · land · cap · board · key · stock · row · root

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. board — a committee
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cue — a hint
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — in music
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — a country
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a line
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a hat

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