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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a word
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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