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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. firm — steady
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — the cause
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — shares
  13. root — of a word
  14. key — for a lock
  15. content — the amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. content — happy

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