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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: stock · ground · bulb · jam · wake · chest · key · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — the earth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — a trail
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stock — goods

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