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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — goods
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. root — of a word
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. spell — magic

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