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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: spring · stick · firm · root · can · field · stock · cabinet

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spring — of water
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — for sport
  7. spring — the season
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — goods
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — farmland
  20. root — of a word
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — steady
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — shares

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