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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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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: content · rest · swing · calf · root · prune · bark · chip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. root — the cause
  4. bark — to shout
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. root — of a word

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