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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: mark · row · root · coach · stock · plane · hand · jam

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — shares
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mark — a grade
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — goods
  19. root — the cause
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. row — a line
  24. hand — part of the body

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