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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a line of people
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — shares
  12. club — for dancing
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — for golf
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — the cause
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. suit — in cards
  24. game — a match

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