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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bark — to shout
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bass — low music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — the instrument

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