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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. object — a thing
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — an aim
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a plant
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cold — an illness
  21. object — to protest
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. pound — a weight

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