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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — of a plant
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cap — a hat
  14. degree — temperature
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — a group
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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