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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: lean · dip · pass · object · land · field · stock · root

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. land — a country
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. object — to protest
  6. field — a subject
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — a thing
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — an aim
  11. lean — to bend
  12. field — farmland
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. field — for sport
  18. root — of a word
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — goods
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — ground
  24. lean — thin

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