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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a skill
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — to drill
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — humankind
  23. bore — to tire
  24. root — of a word

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