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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: tube · bulb · stock · root · bark · key · fall · wave

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fall — the season
  4. root — the cause
  5. stock — shares
  6. root — of a word
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stock — goods
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — of a plant
  24. key — in music

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