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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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — there
  5. pitch — completely
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. root — the cause
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — of a word

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