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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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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: root · dip · ball · file · pitch · lash · stock · ground

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. root — of a word
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. file — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitch — completely
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. ground — a position
  20. ball — a dance
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ground — the earth

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