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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 120 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 · trunk · suit · track · stock · object · club · march

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — of a plant
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — of a word
  9. suit — in cards
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. march — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. track — a path
  17. club — a group
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stock — goods

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