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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · date · foot · stock · field · fan · snap · prune

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — the cause
  6. field — a subject
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. field — farmland
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — for sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — a measure
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — shares
  24. root — of a plant

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