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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — the cause
  7. scale — size or range
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. firm — a company
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a plant
  23. firm — decided
  24. stock — a soup base

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