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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. firm — decided
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — a company
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — rain
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — of a word
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — the cause
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stock — shares

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