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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — in music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. key — in music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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