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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pop — to visit
  3. root — of a word
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stock — goods
  8. lean — to bend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — music
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lean — thin

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