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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: board · root · content · staff · deal · rush · bulb · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — the amount
  4. root — of a word
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — the cause
  24. staff — employees

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