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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · file · toast · jam · firm · bark · season

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. file — a line of people
  5. firm — a company
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. toast — bread
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. firm — decided
  16. root — of a word
  17. season — of the year
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. firm — steady
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — to shout

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