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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. root — the cause
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — to protest
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — to paddle
  10. root — of a plant
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. suit — in cards
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. object — an aim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — a friend
  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