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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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468
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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — the cause
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — of a word
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. root — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lash — an eyelash

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