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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 120 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: root · pass · spell · kid · cue · sharp · drill · bark

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. drill — army training
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cue — a hint
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. root — of a plant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spell — a short time

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