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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: root · land · tube · rush · roll · bulb · jam · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. bark — to shout
  5. roll — a cake
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. root — of a plant
  13. roll — a list
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — ground
  19. tube — a container
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. jam — a tight spot

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