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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 120 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: arm · spell · fine · stock · nail · last · bound · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — of a word
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — all right
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — final
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fine — high quality
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. bound — tied together
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — shares

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