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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 116 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: bark · wound · rule · bank · tube · root · court · leaves

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. root — the cause
  3. court — of law
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rule — a law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — a container
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — for sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — of a king

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