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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: bark · stand · bulb · stem · tube · arm · deal · root

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. root — the cause
  24. tube — the underground

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