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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. race — humankind
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — the cause
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — a price
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — in control
  24. race — a contest

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