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

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. present — there
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a committee
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. present — the time now
  22. board — to get on
  23. pop — soda
  24. board — a flat piece

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