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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: stem · root · stock · ground · fine · dip · chair · bound

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — the cause
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bound — obliged
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bound — certain
  14. root — of a word
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — all right
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chair — to sit on

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