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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 · date · pass · mate · bulb · trunk · root · bowl

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — the cause
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pass — a permit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bulb — 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