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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — shares
  9. object — an aim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — a line
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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