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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.

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: charge · degree · bowl · mug · root · tube · bulb · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mug — a face
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — a cup
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. root — the cause
  24. charge — a price

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