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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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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: jam · bark · root · rule · stand · row · staff · bay

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — government
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. root — the cause
  17. row — a line
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rule — a law
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — to rule out

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