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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: bear · bark · stock · root · mark · face · pass · dip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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 ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. bark — to shout
  5. root — the cause
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mark — a grade
  18. face — to point toward
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. root — of a word
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — a permit

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