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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: squash · mark · chest · club · bark · can · craft · root

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — the cause
  5. club — for golf
  6. craft — a skill
  7. root — of a word
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. craft — boats
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — a group
  17. squash — the sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mark — a grade
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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