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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. game — wild animals
  4. firm — decided
  5. land — a country
  6. root — the cause
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. firm — steady
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — ground
  12. shower — rain
  13. stock — goods
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. game — a match
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — a permit
  19. land — to come down
  20. firm — a company
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — to wash

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