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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: rush · bark · date · season · temple · key · pound · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — in music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. season — of the year
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — the fruit

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