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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. degree — an amount
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — of a word
  11. degree — temperature
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. vault — a safe
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. root — the cause
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — shares
  24. mouse — the animal

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