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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: stock · bay · mine · root · craft · coach · row · bound

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stock — goods
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bound — obliged
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a skill
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — of a word
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — shares
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bound — certain
  24. stock — a soup base

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