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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 120 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: snap · pass · stock · court · wake · wound · foot · root

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to click
  4. root — of a plant
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — of law
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. root — of a word
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stock — goods
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  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