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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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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: stock · rule · straw · plane · root · chair · deal · march

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. root — the cause
  10. deal — to handle
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. root — of a plant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. stock — goods
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — government

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