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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — in control
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cue — a hint
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bank — of a river
  24. charge — a price

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