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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. root — the cause
  3. clip — for paper
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. clip — a video
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stock — shares
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — of a word
  20. kid — child
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bank — for money

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