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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. file — a document
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — happening now
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bark — to shout

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