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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: spell · arm · bat · firm · stock · can · root · tear

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — shares
  4. firm — steady
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — decided
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — of a word
  14. spell — magic
  15. tear — to rip
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — of a plant

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