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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: mine · root · tube · coach · stand · stock · file · bark

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. root — the cause
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a document
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — to shout
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — a container
  22. file — a tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. coach — a trainer

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