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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a word
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — the cause
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — all right
  19. clip — for paper
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. season — of the year

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