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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: lash · bound · root · deal · pitch · row · wound · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — the cause
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a word
  9. bound — certain
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. row — a line
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. root — of a plant
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — to paddle

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