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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: bark · toast · nail · root · content · mark · arm · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. root — of a word
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — bread
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. content — videos and posts

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