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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · ground · bank · stock · root · bark · leaves · bear

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stock — shares
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stock — goods
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a word
  24. ground — the earth

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