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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — for digging
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — goods
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — shares
  22. press — a publisher
  23. firm — steady
  24. press — to push

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