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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a hole

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