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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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 — goods
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — shares
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — a grade
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. root — the cause
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — to breed
  23. prune — the fruit
  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