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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a ring
  8. root — the cause
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — goods
  14. root — of a word
  15. key — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. game — a match
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rock — music

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