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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bark — to shout
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mate — to breed
  21. root — the cause
  22. bass — low music
  23. object — an aim
  24. game — wild animals

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