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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: date · saw · charge · band · bowl · bark · staff · root

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. root — of a word
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — the cause
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a music group
  17. staff — a stick
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. root — of a plant
  24. charge — in control

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