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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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468
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: bark · prune · content · dip · can · root · season · foot

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — in sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. root — of a word
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. can — to be able to
  10. foot — a measure
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. content — happy
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. content — the amount
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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