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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: bore · rock · suit · trunk · mouse · stock · cell · root

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. root — of a word
  13. stock — goods
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cell — in biology

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