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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ground — a position
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. root — of a word
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bark — to shout
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. swing — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. swing — in golf

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