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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: roll · rock · calf · root · key · stock · wake · clip

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — the most important part
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. roll — a list
  22. key — in music
  23. clip — a video
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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