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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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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 · pass · root · bark · bound · perch · rest · mark

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — to shout
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a word
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — a break
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rest — what's left

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