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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: club · can · stock · board · fine · drill · mouse · root

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — of a word
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — shares
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. root — the cause
  14. club — for dancing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — to get on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. board — a committee
  22. drill — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. can — to be able to

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