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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: fork · root · rush · foot · season · bark · tear · bore

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — in sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tear — to rip
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bore — to drill
  22. season — of the year
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rush — hurry

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