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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to confront
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pound — a weight

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