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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. root — of a word
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — the cause
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stock — goods
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stem — a stem cell

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