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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. file — a document
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. root — of a plant
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — the cause
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — a group

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