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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. chest — a box
  8. file — a document
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. root — of a word
  15. deal — to handle
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — shares

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