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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: rule · ground · net · stock · fan · roll · root · firm

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. root — the cause
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — of a word
  6. rule — government
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — a position
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — goods
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ground — the earth
  14. roll — a cake
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. net — for catching
  22. roll — a list
  23. firm — steady
  24. net — in sport

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