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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — shares
  10. root — of a word
  11. stock — goods
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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