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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: press · bark · ruler · pitcher · content · calf · root · craft

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — the cause
  4. bark — to shout
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — boats
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — happy
  18. press — newspapers
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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