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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — a partner
  12. root — of a word
  13. stock — goods
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — of a plant
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mate — a friend
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to confront
  21. scale — size or range
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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