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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: bound · craft · stock · sharp · root · rest · jam · pitch

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — the cause
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stock — shares
  12. rest — a break
  13. bound — tied together
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — boats
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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