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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — the underground

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