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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 124 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. root — the cause
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. current — electric
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — goods
  24. root — of a plant

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