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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — goods
  4. kid — child
  5. stock — shares
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — a law
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. squash — to crush
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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