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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — goods
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stock — shares
  15. mate — a friend
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cold — an illness
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fine — all right
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mate — a partner
  22. root — of a word
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fine — high quality

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