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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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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: bark · root · pit · drill · bulb · chair · kid · fine

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. drill — army training
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — child
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — to tease
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. root — the cause
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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