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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. root — of a word
  7. bat — the animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — shares
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — a group
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — the cause
  24. bat — for baseball

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