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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: tear · fan · root · bulb · bark · stand · bay · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a word
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. root — of a plant

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