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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — the cause
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. root — of a word
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — to eat
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stock — shares
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. root — of a plant

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