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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: leaves · bat · land · root · ruler · bass · saw · stock

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — of a plant
  3. land — to come down
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — a country
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bat — for baseball

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