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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: present · bass · rock · spring · bark · toast · root · track

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — of a word
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spring — a coil
  5. track — a song
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. toast — bread
  8. spring — of water
  9. present — the time now
  10. bass — low music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a path
  19. root — the cause
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. present — there
  24. rock — music

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