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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. squash — the sport
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — the underground
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. saw — the tool
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tube — a container

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