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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — the cause
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mug — a face
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stock — goods
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stock — shares

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