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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — the cause
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitch — completely
  9. snap — to click
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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