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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. field — a subject
  3. rash — a series
  4. root — the cause
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. field — farmland
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. plane — a tool

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