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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: stock · rush · root · spring · leaves · content · deal · ruler

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — happy
  3. root — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — the cause
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. root — of a word
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — shares
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. content — the amount
  24. rush — hurry

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