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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. root — of a word
  9. cold — not warm
  10. root — the cause
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cold — an illness
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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