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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · band · cap · hide · root · toast · stock · bark

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cap — of ice
  3. root — of a plant
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — goods
  7. foot — a measure
  8. root — the cause
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. toast — bread
  11. stock — shares
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — a lid
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — of a word
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. band — a ring
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. foot — the bottom

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