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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: bark · rush · root · court · squash · fork · bass · straw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. court — of a king
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — of law
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bass — the instrument

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