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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — to keep track
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. root — the cause
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — to wash
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. plane — a tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — shares
  24. pop — soda

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