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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: prune · race · bound · dip · trunk · root · stock · rush

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — goods
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — the cause
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — obliged
  17. race — a contest
  18. bound — certain
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. root — of a word
  21. stock — shares
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. race — humankind

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