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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — goods
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a line of people
  7. staff — a stick
  8. suit — to fit
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — a path
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a word
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. root — of a plant
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — a soup base

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