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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: mark · squash · lie · club · root · track · bat · bark

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. club — a group
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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