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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a plant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. game — a match
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — shares
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. deal — to handle
  24. game — wild animals

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