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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
468
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: nail · root · wound · stock · tube · rest · club · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — the cause
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — a container
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — a group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. field — farmland
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — a break
  19. stock — goods
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. root — of a word

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