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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · fine · root · stock · race · bark · straw · sharp

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stand — to bear
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — the cause
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — goods
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — a contest
  22. root — of a word
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stock — shares

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