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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — the cause
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — the most important part
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. root — of a word
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. chair — to sit on

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