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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — crushed
  9. root — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. row — a line
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. swing — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. ground — the earth
  24. swing — to play on

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