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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cell — in biology
  3. root — the cause
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rash — on the skin

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