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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: rash · bulb · net · root · stock · pass · fine · jam

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — for catching
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — hasty
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — high quality
  14. net — in sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stock — goods
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. root — of a word
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. root — the cause

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