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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. root — of a word
  6. stock — shares
  7. root — the cause
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stock — goods
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. season — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. season — of the year
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. kick — in football
  24. bass — the instrument

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