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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. root — of a word
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stock — shares
  15. race — humankind
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rash — a series
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — the arms race
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — a contest
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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