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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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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: race · stem · root · lie · stock · sharp · wound · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. net — after costs
  10. stock — goods
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. root — of a plant
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. wound — an injury

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