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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
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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 · board · staff · land · season · stock · rush · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. land — to come down
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. land — a country
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. land — ground
  10. staff — a stick
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — to get on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — of a plant
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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