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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.

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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: cabinet · racket · root · content · bark · mouse · safe · bat

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. content — the amount
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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