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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: mark · bark · root · bore · dip · game · tube · can

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — to tire
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — a sauce

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