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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 · bank · bark · bore · bowl · pitcher · stick · chair

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a word
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — a professorship

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