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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. pound — a weight
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — shares
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. root — the cause
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. track — to keep track
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. key — in music
  24. race — humankind

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