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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. club — for golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — goods
  8. root — the cause
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. toast — bread
  14. stock — shares
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — army training
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. club — a group
  21. root — of a plant
  22. net — in sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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