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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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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: pitcher · dip · stock · key · squash · scale · root · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — shares
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — to sink
  10. key — the most important part
  11. root — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — in music
  23. band — a music group
  24. key — in music

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