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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — a country
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. land — ground
  13. root — of a word
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — to get on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. land — to come down

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