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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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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 · pound · drill · bay · trunk · stock · face · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pound — a weight
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. rule — a law
  8. face — to point toward
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — army training
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rule — government
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. trunk — of a car

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