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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — shares
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — the fish
  20. club — a group
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for golf

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