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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. cap — a hat
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pound — a weight
  7. present — there
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. root — the cause
  11. cue — a signal
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — boats
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cue — for pool
  21. present — a gift
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — the time now

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