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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: pit · press · ground · spring · deal · bay · root · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. press — to push
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — of a plant
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. root — of a word
  15. pit — a hole
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spring — of water
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. root — the cause

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