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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: pop · craft · bat · fine · pitch · stock · hand · root

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pop — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — soda
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hand — help
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — all right
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fine — a penalty

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