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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 120 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: spring · safe · mark · root · racket · rash · bear · march

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — a coil
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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