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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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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: deal · dip · root · rest · chest · stock · last · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — goods
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — size or range
  11. last — to go on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. last — finally
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — the cause
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — final
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — shares

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