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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 · bore · foot · kid · root · rush · hand · bank

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — hurry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — child
  10. hand — help
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to tire
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — of a river
  23. root — of a word
  24. foot — a measure

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