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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 116 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: root · wave · clip · row · stock · court · press · stick

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. row — a line
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — to paddle
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — to push
  8. clip — for paper
  9. court — of law
  10. root — of a word
  11. clip — to cut
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. root — of a plant

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