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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: cabinet · dip · fall · root · wound · squash · pitcher · stock

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — the season
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. root — of a word
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a plant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fall — to drop

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