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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: root · bass · snap · leaves · rush · stand · field · stock

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — hurry
  12. snap — to click
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. root — of a word
  21. field — farmland
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — the instrument

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