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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — a hole
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pit — in a race
  13. game — wild animals
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — of a tree

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