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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 116 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: stock · pound · cue · board · tear · rush · root · bulb

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — shares
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pound — a weight
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a hint
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — the cause
  16. board — a committee
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. board — to get on
  24. bulb — for light

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