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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — the cause
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in biology
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — shares
  13. root — of a word
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — a group
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — goods

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