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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — in sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — clothes
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — final
  22. root — the cause
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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