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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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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: hide · object · land · cue · stock · fine · season · root

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — of the year
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — an aim
  10. season — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fine — high quality
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — for pool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. root — the cause
  23. stock — shares
  24. object — to protest

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