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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — shares
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mark — a grade
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. clip — a video
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. shower — to wash
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wind — moving air
  22. clip — to cut
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. root — of a word

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