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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. file — a document
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. last — finally
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. file — a line of people

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