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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. roll — a cake
  16. root — the cause
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — of a plant

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