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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.

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: toast · pitcher · squash · root · bark · march · lie · firm

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — steady
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — to recline
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. squash — the sport
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. toast — bread
  23. root — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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