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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stock — shares
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — of a word
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lean — thin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to rest against

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