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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — a grade
  4. court — for sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. root — of a word
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. root — of a plant
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bass — low music
  14. court — of law
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. root — the cause
  17. field — farmland
  18. court — of a king
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — shares

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