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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. snap — to click
  7. stock — goods
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — to shout
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — steady
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stock — shares
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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