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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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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: lean · wound · root · file · net · pound · stock · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to bend
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — goods
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — in sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — shares
  18. file — a tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. net — for catching
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pound — a weight

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