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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: mark · rest · coach · root · bark · tube · deal · fan

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — of a word
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fan — to cool the air

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