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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stock — shares
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. object — an aim
  7. current — happening now
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. file — a document
  15. stock — goods
  16. file — a line of people
  17. current — of water
  18. scale — in music
  19. track — a song
  20. scale — size or range
  21. current — electric
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a path

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