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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 112 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. root — the cause
  7. stock — goods
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. root — of a word
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — in music
  24. straw — a straw man

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