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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 124 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. field — a subject
  4. bore — to tire
  5. deal — to handle
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — to drill
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — the cause
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — of a tree

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