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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a face
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. tube — a container
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rest — a break
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — shares

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