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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 · rule · chip · mate · root · plane · band · perch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — of a word
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — shares
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — for a bird

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