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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 116 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: deal · tube · root · sharp · stock · pitch · dip · squash

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tube — the underground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — completely
  11. sharp — clever
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  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