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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: ground · stock · root · cell · tube · hand · cabinet · band

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tube — a container
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — help
  5. cell — in biology
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — a position
  8. band — a ring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stock — shares
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. tube — the underground
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — goods
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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