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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — a friend
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — the season
  7. bat — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stock — goods
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rock — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stock — shares
  20. root — of a plant
  21. spring — of water
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — to breed

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