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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 116 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of law
  12. rule — government
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. stock — shares
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. branch — 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