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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. root — the cause
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — goods
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — to trim

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