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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. root — of a word
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rock — music
  13. club — for golf
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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