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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: pitcher · cap · scale · wave · bark · deal · root · wound

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. root — the cause
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — a lid
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — in music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cap — a hat
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. deal — to handle

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