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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: bore · ruler · pitch · root · face · mine · stock · fork

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mine — for digging
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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