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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — low music
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fall — the season
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pit — a hole
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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