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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. last — finally
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. hand — help
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. file — a tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — to shout
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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