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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: root · net · bark · patient · squash · tube · stem · bulb

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. squash — the sport
  8. net — in sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bark — to shout
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — the underground
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — a container
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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