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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — the cause
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. squash — to crush
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stock — shares
  24. lie — to recline

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