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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. root — the cause
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. last — final
  19. object — an aim
  20. scale — in music
  21. root — of a word
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cue — a signal

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