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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chair — a leader
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — goods
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stock — shares
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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