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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: root · net · hand · rule · foot · clip · stock · stick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rule — government
  3. clip — for paper
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — a measure
  8. root — of a word
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. rule — a law
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — shares
  20. clip — a video
  21. hand — help
  22. stock — goods
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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