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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: rash · root · stock · season · can · present · drill · hand

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. present — there
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — the cause
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hand — help
  9. present — the time now
  10. can — to be able to
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — in sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — a series

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