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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 120 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: squash · drill · stem · saw · root · sharp · board · stock

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — the cause
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — a committee
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. board — to get on
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — shares
  15. drill — a practice
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. root — of a word
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — goods
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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