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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · vault · racket · stock · branch · game · rule · net

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. stock — shares
  4. root — of a word
  5. stock — goods
  6. net — in sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. vault — a safe
  9. game — a match
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. branch — a division
  13. root — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — after costs
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. root — the cause
  20. game — wild animals
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — for tennis

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