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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — a country
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. craft — boats
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — a stone
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. current — happening now
  13. tube — the underground
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stock — shares
  16. firm — a company
  17. current — electric
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — in a tire

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