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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · ground · rock · root · jam · rash · stock · leaves

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tube — a container
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stock — goods
  7. root — of a word
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rash — a series
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — the cause
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stock — shares
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — a soup base

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