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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: arm · field · root · safe · rest · stock · court · coach

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. root — of a word
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — the cause
  16. court — of a king
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of law
  22. field — for sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. field — a subject

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