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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — after costs
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fine — high quality
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a word
  15. swing — in golf
  16. suit — in cards
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — in sport
  19. swing — music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stock — goods
  24. swing — to play on

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