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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. root — of a word
  5. stock — goods
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — the cause
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cell — a phone
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. game — a match

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