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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. toast — bread
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stock — shares
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. root — of a plant
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — a group
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. root — of a word
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. club — for golf
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stock — goods

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