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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mug — a face
  6. root — the cause
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — a cup
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. bark — to shout

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