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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: mate · rest · capital · row · suit · root · bat · stock

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. capital — a city
  7. bat — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. suit — clothes
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stock — goods
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rest — a break
  16. root — the cause
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. capital — money
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mate — a friend
  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