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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: pit · bark · object · ruler · face · root · spring · band

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. root — the cause
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — to confront
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a ring
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — a coil
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. spring — the season
  23. root — of a word
  24. band — a music group

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