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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: racket · root · tube · bore · bank · face · stock · prune

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. face — part of the head
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — to confront
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — to trim

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