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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. firm — a company
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. root — the cause
  7. firm — steady
  8. root — of a word
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — goods
  13. shower — rain
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stock — shares
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. root — of a plant
  23. firm — decided
  24. bay — a horse colour

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