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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.

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: season · stock · root · march · hide · bulb · court · mate

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. root — of a word
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — shares
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — to breed
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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