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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: straw · track · racket · stock · mug · press · kid · root

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — to tease
  8. track — a path
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. press — newspapers
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. kid — child
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — to rob
  16. track — to keep track
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a song
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a face

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