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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. land — to come down
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. root — the cause
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. club — for golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — a company
  18. club — a group
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. bark — to shout

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