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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a word
  8. file — a tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. file — a document
  12. root — the cause
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bound — certain
  16. rule — a law
  17. bound — tied together
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitch — a sports field

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