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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. root — of a word
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — a list
  18. bark — to shout
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — a song
  21. roll — a cake
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — to keep track

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