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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tube — a container
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — a thing
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — shares
  13. object — an aim
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. object — to protest
  18. 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