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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 · stick · foot · wake · hand · spell · root · date

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — a short time
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. root — the cause
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — magic
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spell — letters
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wake — a trail

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