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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stock — goods
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — shares
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. chip — to eat
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. drill — a practice

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