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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · press · safe · face · scale · club · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. face — to confront
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — the cause
  9. club — for golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — a group
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — in music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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