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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: land · tube · mouse · root · bark · bear · fork · temple

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. land — to come down
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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