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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stock — goods
  3. root — of a plant
  4. present — a gift
  5. last — finally
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — the time now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. root — of a word
  15. present — there
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — in a road
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. last — to go on
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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