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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · press · bass · stock · fork · can · hide · wound

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — goods
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. press — newspapers
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — shares
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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