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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a word
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — completely
  13. root — the cause
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spring — of water
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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