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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rule — a law
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — shares
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stock — goods
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. dip — to sink
  12. spring — a coil
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rule — government
  19. spring — of water
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. root — of a word

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