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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — of a plant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. track — a path
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. root — the cause
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bank — of a river

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