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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. present — the time now
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rule — government
  12. pitch — completely
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — a gift
  16. bark — to shout
  17. present — there
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a word
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — the cause

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