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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — employees
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stock — shares
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — for betting
  24. coach — a trainer

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