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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: scale · stock · kick · trunk · bore · land · root · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to drill
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — size or range
  11. root — of a word
  12. kick — in football
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. land — a country
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. land — to come down

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