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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — a break
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — a container
  8. stock — shares
  9. root — the cause
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tube — the underground
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — to move gently

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