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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — of a word
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stock — shares
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cap — of ice
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — the cause
  24. fine — all right

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