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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — goods
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — clever
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. root — the cause
  10. firm — steady
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. content — the amount
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. firm — a company
  23. root — of a word
  24. fall — the season

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