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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: tear · rest · club · pop · stock · pitcher · mug · root

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — a group
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — soda
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stock — goods

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