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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: stock · spring · safe · rule · game · mark · root · mine

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spring — a coil
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spring — the season
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — government
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a word
  14. rule — a law
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — goods
  19. spring — of water
  20. game — wild animals
  21. root — the cause
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a trace

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