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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — the amount
  16. swing — music
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. swing — in golf
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a dance
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a word

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