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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — shares
  4. season — in sport
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — of the year
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a song
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. capital — money

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