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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.

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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — to shout
  12. root — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — shares
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — 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