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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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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: charge · root · mark · firm · kid · kick · bark · tube

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mark — a grade
  3. firm — steady
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kid — to tease
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. firm — a company
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kid — child
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. firm — decided
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — a container

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