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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. row — a line
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stock — goods
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cue — for pool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — shares
  23. branch — a division
  24. row — to paddle

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