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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — shares
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — in football
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — for sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. field — a subject
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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