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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: bass · staff · spring · root · bulb · bark · press · craft

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — a publisher
  5. craft — boats
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. press — newspapers

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