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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: stick · root · rule · shower · court · can · bark · bear

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. root — of a word
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of law
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. court — of a king
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rule — government

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