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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — a position
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — goods

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