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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — the cause
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kid — child
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — a monarch

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