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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — a stick
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — the cause
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ground — crushed
  18. deal — to handle
  19. root — of a word
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. staff — employees

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