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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — the cause
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — a division
  12. root — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a word
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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