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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — happening now
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — electric
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. firm — a company
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. firm — steady
  20. chest — a box
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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