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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · bark · game · rock · racket · bound

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — of a word
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — the cause
  10. rock — music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals

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