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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 116 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: can · saw · firm · root · row · stock · ground · stand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — of a plant
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. root — of a word
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — a line
  24. can — a tin

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