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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — the cause
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ground — the earth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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