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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — the cause
  16. chest — of your body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — of a word
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chest — a box
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. can — to be able to
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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