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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.

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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: spell · bark · fan · cue · bank · root · ground · drill

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — letters
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  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