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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — goods
  12. root — of a word
  13. row — to paddle
  14. last — to go on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — shares
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fine — a penalty

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