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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. root — the cause
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — for sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. court — of a king
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bark — to shout
  18. court — of law
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — wild animals
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — a match
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — to get on

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