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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — shares
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — in music
  12. clip — for paper
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. root — of a word
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. root — of a plant

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