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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. content — happy

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