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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. root — of a word
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. squash — the sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bark — 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