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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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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 · date · fall · stock · race · deal · current

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. root — the cause
  5. stock — goods
  6. fall — to drop
  7. date — the fruit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. root — of a word
  14. stock — shares
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. race — the arms race
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fall — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. deal — a big deal

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