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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — goods
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — a stick
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. snap — to click
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a word
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. toast — bread
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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