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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — to come down
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — the cause
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — ground
  24. stand — on your feet

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