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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 120 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: rock · bulb · saw · land · bark · safe · fine · root

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. root — of a plant
  5. land — a country
  6. root — the cause
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — high quality

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