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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. bark — to shout
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — to handle
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. scale — in music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — for tennis
  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