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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stock — shares
  3. track — a song
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. root — of a plant
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — for dancing
  8. race — humankind
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. track — to keep track
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. root — of a word
  21. race — the arms race
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — goods

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