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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. track — a path
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spring — of water
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — of a word
  7. track — a song
  8. row — a line
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — the season
  19. date — the fruit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. root — the cause
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bark — to shout
  24. current — of water

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