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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. root — of a word
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. charge — a price
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pop — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — for a lock
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. charge — electricity
  21. key — in music
  22. root — the cause
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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