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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stock — shares
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stock — goods
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ground — the earth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ground — crushed

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