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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stock — shares
  4. fine — high quality
  5. march — music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — happy
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fine — all right
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — a position
  20. root — of a word
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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