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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 116 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
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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: prune · shower · root · field · rock · stock · bear · rest

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — goods
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. field — farmland
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — a subject
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. root — of a word
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — the cause

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