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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — shares
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — the cause
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — a stick
  13. firm — decided
  14. tear — to rip
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. degree — temperature
  18. firm — steady
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. perch — for a bird

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