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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. pit — a hole
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — goods
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — ground
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  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