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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: field · wound · pitcher · stock · kick · rush · root · bay

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. field — a subject
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stock — goods
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — farmland
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — for sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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