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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: ruler · stock · pop · arm · wind · root · patient · date

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — the cause
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — of a word
  7. stock — goods
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — soda
  21. stock — shares
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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