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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: ruler · craft · stock · net · row · root · nail · pitcher

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. root — of a word
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a line
  10. craft — boats
  11. stock — shares
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — for catching
  15. craft — a skill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. row — to paddle

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