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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: chest · root · wound · ruler · swing · mug · stock · bat

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — to play on
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a face
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chest — a box
  12. stock — shares
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. swing — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. root — of a word

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