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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 116 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: scale · root · branch · bowl · pit · stock · rush · ground

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stock — goods
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — shares
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rush — hurry
  9. root — of a word
  10. ground — the earth
  11. scale — in music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. branch — a division
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bowl — a football final

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