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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — the cause
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — shares
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — goods
  10. root — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — of a word
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of law
  20. chip — to eat
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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