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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stock — shares
  10. suit — in cards
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. suit — clothes
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — to fit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. root — the cause
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a plant
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. trunk — of a car

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