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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: kick · capital · net · root · stock · arm · cabinet · prune

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — of a word
  9. stock — goods
  10. capital — money
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — in football
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — after costs
  22. capital — a city
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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