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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
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: wax · nail · stock · net · root · kid · bark · craft

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stock — shares
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kid — child
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. root — of a word
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — to tease
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — goods
  24. bark — of a tree

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