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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 120 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: row · deal · bound · staff · press · root · arm · stock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bound — certain
  11. deal — to handle
  12. root — of a word
  13. staff — a stick
  14. root — the cause
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — to paddle
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stock — shares
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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