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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · squash · straw · land · present · file · bark

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — of a plant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — the time now
  5. file — a tool
  6. land — a country
  7. file — a line of people
  8. present — there
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. land — ground
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a word
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. squash — the sport
  22. file — a document
  23. land — to come down
  24. present — a gift

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