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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: staff · snap · cue · deal · stock · root · bass · game

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cue — for pool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — a signal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stock — goods
  19. root — the cause
  20. deal — to handle
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — shares
  24. deal — an agreement

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