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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. date — the fruit
  5. snap — to click
  6. board — to get on
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — size or range
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — a list
  17. root — of a word
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — on the calendar

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