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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: drill · firm · squash · leaves · pass · stock · root · kid

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. drill — army training
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — decided
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — to tease
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. root — the cause

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