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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — in music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. race — humankind
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — the arms race
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. swing — in golf
  24. race — a contest

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