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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: foot · bark · season · root · rush · sharp · present · rule

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. root — of a word
  5. present — there
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. root — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. season — of the year
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rule — a law
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. root — the cause
  21. rush — hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rule — government

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