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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. root — the cause
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a word
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — a measure
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bark — to shout
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stock — a soup base

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