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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: stand · root · rock · chip · bark · hide · row · game

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. root — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — a line
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — wild animals
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. root — of a word
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stand — to bear
  24. row — to paddle

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