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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: bark · key · root · racket · trunk · stock · current · leaves

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. root — the cause
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — electric
  8. key — for a lock
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. current — happening now
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. current — of water
  16. key — in music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stock — shares
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of a tree

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