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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stock — goods
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. game — a match
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bowl — a dish

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