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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: fall · roll · race · chip · mug · bark · root · stock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. race — the arms race
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — humankind
  15. root — of a word
  16. stock — goods
  17. roll — a cake
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — a face
  24. roll — a list

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