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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 · key · temple · row · deal · present · racket · root

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a word
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — to handle
  11. key — for a lock
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — there
  20. root — the cause
  21. stock — shares
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a line

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