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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: firm · bark · cell · root · mark · ball · toast · rock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. firm — decided
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — the cause
  5. toast — bread
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — of a word
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rock — music
  15. firm — a company
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cell — a phone
  20. firm — steady
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cell — in biology

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