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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tear — to rip
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a word
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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