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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: stock · object · club · lie · root · face · bear · bound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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. lie — to recline
  4. object — to protest
  5. club — for golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — certain
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. club — a group

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