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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · pop · wave · stock · root · mine · arm · dip

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — soda
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — to dunk
  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