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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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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: bowl · lash · cap · kid · root · stock · row · foot

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — the cause
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. row — a line
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — to tease
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — of a word
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. row — a quarrel

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