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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 120 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: rash · chip · spell · bark · mark · cap · root · bear

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — letters
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — the cause
  23. rash — a series
  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