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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stock — goods
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — the cause
  20. game — a match
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mark — a trace

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