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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. root — of a word
  3. stock — shares
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — the cause
  7. field — a subject
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to drill
  23. field — for sport
  24. spring — the season

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