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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 120 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: land · lie · bore · bulb · root · deal · pop · stock

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — of a word
  3. stock — goods
  4. land — a country
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pop — soda
  15. land — to come down
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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