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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — an aim
  3. stock — shares
  4. object — to protest
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — to rob
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. root — of a word
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — ground
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — a thing

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