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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a grade
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bark — to shout
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of a tree

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