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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: root · stock · snap · cold · bark · bore · nail · racket

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — to drill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to click
  9. stock — shares
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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