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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: bat · wound · roll · rash · stock · rest · root · tube

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — of a word
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — shares
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — a container
  15. rest — a break
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — an injury
  19. roll — a cake
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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