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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spring — of water
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — of a word
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — decided
  20. spring — the season
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — a coil

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