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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: deal · dip · fan · root · bark · tube · pitch · arm

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. root — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — completely
  17. root — of a word
  18. dip — to sink
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. root — the cause
  24. bark — of a tree

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