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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. last — finally
  3. root — the cause
  4. bass — low music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — to bear
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — final
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the instrument

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