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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.

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: bear · bound · season · hide · ruler · bark · root · pitch

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — in sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — obliged
  17. root — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — tied together

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