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

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — to get on
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — the cause
  10. board — a committee
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — a grade

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