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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · club · fan · drill · cold · bass · stock · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — goods
  5. drill — the tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. root — of a word
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — low music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. club — for golf
  21. drill — army training
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — a group
  24. cold — not warm

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