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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: lean · racket · root · season · bark · sharp · calf · track

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lean — to bend
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — of the year
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a song
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a path

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