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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — of law
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. stock — shares
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. file — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a document
  24. coach — a trainer

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