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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: staff · stock · clip · game · root · plane · ruler · sharp

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — the cause
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. clip — a video
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. game — wild animals
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stock — shares
  20. root — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — goods
  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