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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stock — shares
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — goods
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — a horse colour

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