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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 120 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — shares
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. root — of a word
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. object — to protest
  11. last — final
  12. kid — child
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — an aim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fine — high quality
  24. object — a thing

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