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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 · rash · root · march · object · rule · bay · key

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — government
  6. object — a thing
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — to protest
  9. key — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. march — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. root — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — an aim
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — goods
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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