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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tear — to rip
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. root — of a word
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — a cup
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stock — goods
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — a big deal

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