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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bear · spell · court · root · tube · kick · bark · wake

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — magic
  12. kick — in football
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — letters
  16. court — of law
  17. root — the cause
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of a king
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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