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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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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: root · face · toast · board · cell · stock · kick · cue

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — goods
  4. root — of a plant
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — for pool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — bread
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. board — a committee
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stock — shares
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. root — of a word
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — the cause
  24. kick — with a leg

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