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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — of a word
  8. wax — to grow
  9. root — the cause
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kick — in football
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tube — the underground
  20. object — an aim
  21. bark — to shout
  22. object — to protest
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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