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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — shares
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. charge — in control
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. root — of a word
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — in a race
  24. file — a document

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