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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 116 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: mark · bark · deal · root · track · bulb · scale · game

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — a match
  10. root — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. scale — size or range
  16. track — a song
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a word
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — to shout
  24. deal — a big deal

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