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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: wound · stock · pop · leaves · arm · press · root · cap

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — the cause
  11. press — to push
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. leaves — lets stay

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