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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: fan · root · rest · ball · bat · season · mouse · stock

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — shares
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a dance
  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