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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — a container
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. drill — army training
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. root — of a plant

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