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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: file · pop · pitcher · kid · bark · snap · fine · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a line of people
  4. root — the cause
  5. kid — child
  6. file — a document
  7. fine — all right
  8. snap — to click
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bark — to shout
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — soda
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — a penalty

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