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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stock — goods
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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