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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — a match
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. root — the cause
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wake — a trail
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. game — wild animals

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