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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. root — the cause
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — magic
  7. bark — to shout
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — a position
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — the earth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. root — of a word
  23. ground — crushed
  24. scale — size or range

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